Yesterday (27 January), Mexican-American actress Selena Gomez shared an emotional video reacting to Donald Trump’s newly-introduced immigration policies.

The clip has since drawn criticism, including a sharp remark from Republican Senate candidate Sam Parker, who even suggested Gomez should be deported to Mexico.

The controversy began when Gomez, 32, posted a tearful video discussing Trump’s recent executive orders, many of which target immigration. In the since-deleted video, the third-generation Mexican-American actress broke down as she spoke about the impact of the policies.

“All my people are being attacked—the children,” she sobbed. “I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could do something, but I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”

Trump, 78, who made history as the first convicted felon to assume the presidency, had announced during his inauguration speech on 20 January plans to curb illegal immigration and deport millions.

“And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” Trump declared, reinforcing his administration’s aim to “restore” America.

One of the executive orders also included a plan to eliminate birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, a measure Trump described as essential for national restoration.

However, Gomez’s heartfelt reaction did not sit well with everyone. Her post drew backlash from both Republican voters and even some first- and second-generation immigrants, forcing her to remove the video. She later addressed the criticism on her Instagram story, writing, “Apparently it’s not okay to show empathy for people.”

Among her critics was Sam Parker, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Utah in 2018. Parker targeted Gomez directly on X (formerly Twitter), sharing her video alongside references to her Mexican heritage.